I Picked Up a Mermaid
by Squatta
Summary: Makoto has a good, fulfilling life. It almost seems perfect, but it always felt like something was missing. Then one day, he picked up a mermaid. MakoHaru.
1. Chapter 1

The adrenaline rush of running into a blazing fire never gets old. Makoto had lost track of how many fires he had to brave since starting his job as a firefighter three years ago. His first house fire made his heart beat like mad - he was terrified, but managed to successfully rescue the five year old child that had gotten trapped inside and he instantly became the newbie hero.

Makoto enjoyed his job, but that feeling of terror when hit with a wall of hot air from towering flames was still enough to make his pulse skyrocket. He wasn't sure if this adrenaline rush was actually enjoyable, but at the end of the day he could at least say he'd done something good.

He quickly made friends with his co-workers at the fire station, he lived in a decent sized apartment and could afford to eat well and occasionally splurge on a new video game or a fancy electronic. Life was good - so why did it feel like something had always been missing? Makoto was happy, but at the end of the day he would go back to his apartment and feel like something about it was incomplete. Even if he bought material things, it still didn't seem quite right.

"You should try dating for once! You're handsome and popular, I'm so damn jealous! You know you've got plenty of ladies ogling you at rescue scenes sometimes - I'm not sure why you don't just go up and romance one of 'em," Makoto's co-worker gave him a hearty pat on the back and joked.

"Er, that's just not me, I guess?" Makoto laughed nervously. "When I'm out there doing rescues or putting out fires nothing else is on my mind really..."

"Psh, could it be you're just bad with handling women? Guess that's your weak point, huh? Finally, Mr. Perfect seems to fail in something!" His co-worker laughed and gave Makoto a playful jab in the arm.

"Come on, I'm not that perfect... And you know I hate that nickname," Makoto rubbed at his arm.

"Yeah, yeah - but you know we use it affectionately," He ruffled at Makoto's hair. "But seriously, you've been looking down a bit lately - how about you come fishing this weekend? The old lady is going out with her friends to some hot spring so I finally got some time for myself."

"Fishing, huh?" Makoto pondered. "I'm not really good with stuff like that, though, hooking the worms is kind of..."

His co-worker let out a booming laugh, "Don't worry! I'll hook all the worms you need, princess!"

"I hate that nickname even more!" Makoto whined. He knew his name was girly, but was the nickname 'princess' really necessary!?

His co-worker gave him another pat on the back, "You should know by now that I'm kidding. Seriously, all you gotta do is cast the rod and reel it in and I'll do the rest of the work. Whaddaya say?"

Makoto thought for a moment. Maybe doing something a little different than his norm would do good for the strange mood he had been in lately. He didn't want to mention that the ocean scared him a little... but as long as he didn't have to go in he figured he'd be fine.

"Fine, I'll go, it might be fun," Makoto smiled slightly.

"That's the spirit!" His co-worker gave him a wide grin.

Makoto gave a weak smile and wave as he watched his co-worker walk off.

* * *

><p>A day out fishing was actually a lot more enjoyable than Makoto had imagined. He was a little nervous about getting on the boat but his friend eased him on with jokes and encouragement. And of course, like promised, Makoto really only had to cast and reel so he didn't have to worry about hooking the innocent worms...<p>

They ended up catching a few decent sized fish and Makoto's troubles were forgotten during that time. Maybe he should go out and do these kinds of things more often.

"How about you come on over to my place and I'll cook up these fish we caught?" His friend said with a grin as he drove the boat back to shore.

"That sounds great!" Makoto shouted over the boat motor.

As the boat approached the shore, Makoto looked out over the ocean, the sunset reflecting off of the water was quite beautiful despite how the mass of water made him a bit uneasy.

The boat slowed as it neared the dock and Makoto's eyes scanned the surrounding beach. His eyes stopped as he saw a figure off in the far distance... it looked like a person. Behind a giant wall of rocks, it seemed like there was a head with black hair just poking out from behind. The person wasn't moving and it looked as if they may have washed up on shore. Makoto's heart dropped slightly as he thought of the worst and stood up suddenly in the boat.

"What's wrong, Makoto?" His friend asked.

Makoto turned his head, "Ah, I think there's something over there, I'm going to go check it out." He got out of the boat and climbed up onto the dock. He didn't want to get his friend worked up about a possible person being washed up if he ended up being wrong.

"Oh... Alright. Well, don't take too long," the man tried to see what Makoto had noticed but was more preoccupied with tying his boat to the dock.

Makoto jogged along the shore, and as he got closer it seemed his fears were confirmed - it definitely was a person lying there, unmoving. Stricken with panic, he picked up the pace. There was always a possibility that this person could still be alive.

Makoto reached the body, taking short, erratic breaths as he gently knelt down next to the unmoving man. The man lay with his head turned to the side on top of a small rock, his arms draped over the rock and most of his body was still in the water. Cautiously, Makoto moved a hand over his mouth - it was subtle but he was still breathing. He gave a sigh of relief before giving the man a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

"Sir, are you alright?" He said, but the man did not stir. He was probably unconscious - maybe he had struck his head on a rock while swimming?

Makoto did not see any injuries, but then again he couldn't tell with the man barely hanging on to the rock. Makoto made sure that the man wasn't awake before placing his hands underneath the man's arms to hoist him up out of the water. The man was surprisingly light as Makoto made sure not to scrape his body against the rocks. Makoto's eyes wandered down the man's body as he pulled - and that's when he noticed a nasty injury, something that seemed like a shark bite. Although not too severe, it was bad enough to make Makoto quickly pull him up onto the shore.

Makoto nearly dropped the man after what he had seen next. As the man's body came out of the water, it seemed like the swim trunks he was wearing were a little off. They were skin tight and it looked like... scales. It didn't take Makoto much longer to realize that they weren't some fancy new brand of swimmers - they seemed like they were a part of the man's body. Makoto's breath hitched in his throat as he stifled a scream of surprise. With shaking limbs, he sat the man down gently as he looked down in shock at what was right before him. Where the man's feet should've been was a large, split fin. His legs - one long section of beautifully colored blue scales that faded into human flesh at the waist.

Was it a costume? Was Makoto even awake right now? Maybe he had actually hit his head on the boat and he was dreaming right now. Yeah, that was it...

"Hey! Makoto! What're you doing over there!?" Makoto's head whipped around in the direction of the yelling. He had completely forgotten that his co-worker was still there.

Should he show him what he just found? Would that even be a good idea? He did need to do something about the man's injury... But this wasn't a typical human being.

"U-Um, do you mind if you go on without me? I want to stay out on the beach a little longer. I'll meet you at your house!" Makoto made up the only excuse he could think of. He was glad that the rock wall was probably blocking the man he pulled out of the water.

His friend shrugged, "Sure, if you really want."

"Thanks!" Makoto waved and hoped to himself that his friend would be leaving soon.

Makoto turned his attention back to the man lying motionless on the beach. He slowly knelt back down beside the man who was taking slow, shallow breaths. His skin was fair and smooth, but he didn't look weak. He was muscular, like a swimmer, but his face looked soft and delicate in his slumber. His hair was short and pitch-black - he had everything that indicated he was a normal human sans the large fin he had instead of legs. Cautiously, Makoto reached out a hand towards the man's waist. He was nervous to touch it, but he had to know. He had to know if this was all real.

He gingerly touched the scales with a finger, running his finger slightly up to the part that met flesh. It felt just like a fish's scales, the smooth kind that didn't prickle up if you touched them, and the skin definitely felt like human flesh.

Makoto sat down beside the man, still in utter shock. What now? Should he call for help? He is badly injured, after all. But what if this ends up being all over the news? What if this turns out to be something big? What if this man gets turned into some sort of attraction? Or even worse - some sort of lab pet.

Makoto felt a slight pain in his chest as he looked down at the man and thought of what terrible things could happen to him just because he got himself hurt. But he couldn't just leave him here. Makoto attempted again to shake the man awake, but to no avail, it wasn't working.

Looking at the wound was painful enough, but Makoto had nothing on him at the moment in the ways of first aid. He looked around the beach and saw some kelp washed up on the shore - better than nothing. He quickly got up to fetch the kelp, kneeling back down beside the man to wrap his wound as to not get any more sand in it.

Makoto lifted his body slightly so he could wrap the kelp around the man's torso. As he set him back down, the man let out a quiet, short, mumble.

"H-Hey! Are you awake?" Makoto asked and looked down at the man's face.

He didn't make any more noise, and Makoto had noticed that he stopped breathing.

"Hey!"

Makoto, slightly panicked, put his ear up against the man's chest. His heart was still beating, but his pulse sounded like it had slowed. Makoto took no time readying for CPR - he was a firefighter, after all, this was something he had learned and had to do on several occasions.

Pressing against the man's chest, with a few, quick pumps, Makoto leaned in to press his mouth against the man's and breathed out. He continued the process a few more times until he heard a sign of relief. The man began to cough and took in long, labored breaths.

His eyes fluttered open to reveal a deep blue. Makoto gasped slightly as the man looked up at him in surprise, which quickly turned into horror.

"Ah...!" The man sat up and attempted to distance himself from Makoto.

"Don't move! You're injured!" Makoto said frantically as the man nearly flipped over in order to get away from him.

"A-Ow!" The man flopped down, grabbing at his side in pain.

"See? I told you!"

Makoto got up to run over to the man's side. He was met with a strong blow to his legs, sending him to fall backwards.

"S-Stay away..." The man said in a shaking voice, his fin was up and poised to strike again if need be.

Makoto sat up on his hands, speechless. Why was he so cautious of him?

"I'm only trying to help... I saw you unconscious and noticed your injury... You stopped breathing and I gave you CPR-"

"Human's are dangerous!" The man scowled at him, holding onto his side.

Makoto's face fell a bit. How could he have been so naive? He had absolutely no idea who or what the man was in front of him - he was probably as shocked and confused as he was.

Makoto stood up cautiously, "Are you... a mermaid?"

"That's what you people call us..." The man said hesitantly, his eyes darted between the water and Makoto.

Makoto's jaw dropped slightly, "I-I don't want to hurt you! I'm serious! We need to do something about your injury or it could become worse," he took a step forward and the mermaid scooted back on one hand.

"I'm fine, this is nothing," he said, still giving Makoto a cold stare.

"That's not what it looks like to me. You were in pain a moment ago," Makoto tried giving the man a smile.

The mermaid remained silent.

"My name is... Makoto Tachibana - you can call me Makoto," he took another step forward.

"I don't need to know your name..." The mermaid said quietly. "Please just let me go."

"But I'm not preventing you from leaving... Although, I'd prefer it if you didn't - I'd worry about you swimming out there with your injury," Makoto said in a kind voice.

"Like a human would worry about me!" The mermaid's face reddened slightly.

Makoto frowned, "Do... you not have a good relationship with humans?"

"Humans are terrible. They pollute the ocean, kill our fish, destroy our homes with their buildings and docks - a few have even tried to hunt us." The mermaid slid a little closer to the water, "You humans are terrible. I hate that we look so similar."

Makoto's shoulder sunk as he looked down at the mermaid who seemed like he would rather be anywhere other than in front of him.

The mermaid groaned in pain again as he inched closer to the ocean. His body went limp and his breathing was heavy.

"If you're going to kill me - do it now. You're right, I can't go anywhere with this injury. My body is weak and I probably won't survive the night out there." The man leaned up against the rock, his head facing towards the ocean.

Makoto took a few steps towards the man. The mermaid closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. He knew there wasn't a human that could be trusted...

He felt hands against his skin and something wrapping around his waist tightly. The mermaid open his eyes and looked down to see Makoto wrapping the kelp that had been on him into a tight knot around his body where his wound was.

"It was falling off," Makoto looked up and smiled.

The mermaid looked at him in slight shock as he secured the kelp around him.

"Why are you doing this...?" The mermaid asked quietly.

"I said I wanted to help you - didn't I?" Makoto said, standing up. "The only problem is getting you that help... I have some first aid at my house, but I'm not sure if that's going to do it... Plus I don't even know how I'm going to get you to my house!" Makoto grumbled in thought.

The mermaid let out a sigh, eying Makoto who seemed to be talking to himself at this point.

"Haruka..."

"Huh? Did you say something?" Makoto snapped out of his monologue and glanced over at the mermaid.

The mermaid clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Haruka. My name." He said curtly.

Makoto's face lit up as he smiled, "Haruka... That's such a cute name! Haru-chan!"

Haru blushed, "Don't say my name like that!" He lifted his fin in annoyance, swatting at Makoto.

"Sorry! I won't do it again," Makoto giggled, trying to avoid getting hit. "Anyway, I have an idea, but I'm going to have to trust that you'll wait for me, okay?"

"Wh-What are you going to do with me?" Haru's defenses still weren't down just quite yet.

"Um, I'm thinking that you could stay in my bathtub for now. I have a friend whose a scientist so maybe he could help fixing up your wound... maybe..." Makoto scratched at his chin.

"No!" Haru shouted, shocking Makoto out of his thoughts. "You're going to make me into some sort of experiment! I'd rather just die in the ocean." Haru looked as if he was about to bolt.

"No, no! That's not it at all!" Makoto held his hands out. "My friend would never do that! But we have to take care of your wounds and I only know first aid..." He gave Haru a pleading look.

Haru hesitated for a moment, giving another look back at the sea, letting out a brief sigh.

"Do you promise?" Haru mumbled softly.

"Of course! I would never want to see something like that happen..." Makoto reassured.

Haru turned his head to look up at Makoto, "What is a 'bathtub'?"

Makoto smiled in relief. "Its large tub that we fill up with water to clean off our bodies."

"Huh..." Haru thought for a moment. "Can you swim in it?"

"No, not quite. Its just big enough for your body to fit in."

Haru let out a soft grumble of dislike.

"I'm sorry... that's the only thing I have. Once you're all healed up you can go back to the ocean and swim - I promise," Makoto said with a smile.

Haru remained silent for a moment before speaking up again. "How am I going to get to your home?"

"Yeah, that's the thing... The only thing I can think of is if I go and get my car, but you'll have to wait here. Do you think you can do that?" Makoto asked.

"...Car? Those hideous things you humans get inside of that go really fast?"

"Ah, yes..." Makoto nodded. "So... Can you wait here for me? Will you promise you won't try swimming away with that injury of yours?"

Haru looked up at Makoto's face, still trying to see if this man was as kind as he was letting on. He seemed sincere, but looks could be deceiving. But Haru could feel himself getting weaker by the moment. There was no way he'd last much longer if he tried swimming back to his village on his own. He cursed himself for swimming so far away from it and getting himself attacked so carelessly like he did.

So the human standing above him right now was pretty much his only option. If he were to deceive him, he could only hope that he'd be put out of his misery instead of suffering in agony...

"I'll wait." Haru said curtly.

Makoto smiled. "Great! It shouldn't take me too long - maybe twenty minutes. Can you promise to stay safe until I get back?"

Haru simply nodded and held a hand up to his wound that started aching a bit more.

"Ah! I should hurry before your wound gets any worse!" Makoto waved and took off across the beach.

Makoto figured he could stop by the fire station and grab a couple of portable fire hoses. They were pretty much for emergencies in situations were fire hydrants weren't easily accessible, but hopefully just borrowing it for the day would be alright. He wasn't sure if Haru would be alright in fresh water so he figured he'd pump out some salt water from the ocean.

"Ah..." Makoto remembered that the whole reason he was out there in the first place was because he had went fishing with his friend that day. Maybe it'd be good to call him and let him know that something kind of... came up...

* * *

><p>Makoto hurried back as quickly as he could. His car was pretty small, but he could think of no other way to get the mermaid back to his apartment... And the whole way back he couldn't help but worry over multiple things: is Haru okay? Will he be able to get into the car? How is he going to get him up to the second floor of the apartment building? Makoto groaned as he drove as quickly as he could back to the ocean. He didn't even know if the mermaid would still be there when he got back - he definitely didn't trust Makoto much at all in the first place.<p>

Finally arriving at the beach, Makoto got out of his car in a hurry and ran down to the rocks where he left the mermaid, the portable fire hydrants in hand

"Haru?" Makoto shouted as he approached. He got a shock when he didn't see his figure by the rocks and nearly panicked until he saw a head of black hair bobbing up and down in the water.

"H-Haru! Are you alright?" Makoto rushed over to his side and quickly knelt down, setting the hydrants aside.

Haru was still alive, but his breathing had become shallow. He seemed like he was barely hanging on to his consciousness and his eyes were closed as he held the side of his body where his wound was.

Makoto panicked as he placed his hand against Haru's forehead - it was still warm but he could tell his body temperature had dropped. He quickly filled the hydrants and carried them to the car.

When he got back, he placed an arm underneath Haru's neck and one under his fin and hoisted his limp body up.

"Nn..." Haru groaned in pain as he was lifted up.

"Hang in there, I'll get you home soon!" Makoto said in an exasperated voice as he carried Haru as quickly as he could back to his car.

Makoto somehow managed to open up the passenger side of his car and lift Haru into the seat. The rest of the drive home was a blur of trying to make sure if Haru would make it back to the apartment alright or not. He didn't even know how he managed to haul the mermaid up the stairs without anyone seeing him. He guessed all his years working as a firefighter made it a little easier for him to carry people.

Haru was still taking shallow breaths by the time Makoto had set him in the tub but by now he seemed to have lost consciousness at that point. Makoto rushed down the stairs to grab the water from his car and bring it back up to his apartment, quickly dumping it into the tub.

Makoto slumped down onto the bathroom floor after he had brought up all of the water. He had placed Haru so that he was sitting up, he wasn't sure if he could breathe in water or not... He didn't know anything about mermaids - how was he going to take care of him? Was this a mistake?

No, there was no way he could've just left Haru there to die on his own. But now what? His injury seemed to be getting the best of him and it wasn't like he could call a doctor. He figured his only option was to call his friend after all. He was a scientist, an inventor and creator of sorts, not a doctor, but he probably knew more than Makoto did. Could he trust his friend? He really had no other options.

"Rei?" Makoto said as he heard the other person on the line pick up the phone.

"Oh, Makoto-senpai, is there something you need?" Despite having graduated years ago, Rei had never lost the habit of calling Makoto 'senpai'.

"Well, this is kind of an odd request..." Makoto tried to think of how to explain the situation to his friend. "I figured you might know a good deal of how to treat injuries, maybe? I know you have a lot of doctor friends and took a few medical classes and whatnot..."

"If its simple, I could probably assist somewhat. What happened - Makoto-senpai, are you hurt!?" Rei asked in a worried voice.

"N-No, its not me but... a friend. He's hurt pretty badly, the wound is pretty deep and he's losing consciousness-"

"Then you have to take him to the hospital quickly!" Rei interrupted.

"Th-That's the thing, Rei, I can't... my friend, he's... different. I can't take him to the hospital," Makoto tried to explain.

"How can that be!?"

"Its just... I'll explain later, but that's why I'm calling you, you're my only option, Rei. Please, you have to be the one to help my friend!" Makoto asked desperately.

"I-I'll be on my way!" Rei said with resolve. Makoto knew Rei would pull through for him, he just wondered if Rei would help him keep this secret.

"Thanks, Rei. I really owe you," Makoto hung up and rushed back to the bathroom to check up on Haru.

Thankfully Haru was still breathing but he seemed quite pale. Makoto knelt down and placed a hand on Haru's forehead, pushing away his messy hair out of his face.

"Please hang in there, Haru," Makoto whispered.

Makoto grabbed a hold of Haru's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It seemed like seconds went by slowly waiting for Rei to come. But finally the knock on the door came and Makoto stood up quickly and ran to his door.

"Where is he?" Rei asked, walking into the apartment, a bag in his hand which was most likely full of medical supplies.

"He's in the bathroom, but first-" Makoto was cut off as Rei quickly walked off.

"W-Wait, Rei!" Makoto chased after him, but it seemed like he was too late as he found Rei frozen at the doorway. "Don't freak out..." Makoto said nervously.

Rei's mouth hung open as his eyes didn't leave the mermaid that lay in the bathtub, his fin hanging over the edge of the tub. It took him a moment to snap back and straighten up his stance.

"Is he still conscious?" He asked quietly, kneeling down beside the tub. He began digging out some tools from his bag.

"I-I don't think so, he isn't responding to anything I say," Makoto walked over cautiously.

"I'll assume you'll explain this to me later, but for now we have to get him stitched up ASAP," Rei continued, slipping on some gloves. "I'll need you to help me lift him up so I can disinfect his wound."

Makoto nodded and did as he was told. He sat on the edge of the tub and lifted Haru's fin out of the tub as Rei grabbed him under the arms. Makoto held Haru up as he watched Rei unwrap the kelp on Haru's body and meticulously work on the wound. They didn't say much to each other the whole time as Makoto watched Rei make the last stitch on his wound. Rei cleaned up a bit more before they settled Haru back into the water.

Makoto sighed as he stood up from the tub. "Thank you, Rei. I don't know what I could've done without you."

Rei packed up his things and stood up, adjusting his glasses. "I assume you're going to explain this to me now."

Makoto nodded and walked towards the doorway of the bathroom as to not disturb Haru who seemed to have fallen asleep, his breathing had now become normal.

"I know this is crazy... but he's a mermaid," Makoto began.

"I wouldn't believe that if I hadn't seen him with my own eyes," Rei commented.

Makoto went on to explain how he had found Haru and how he didn't feel right just leaving him there on the beach without helping him.

Rei sighed with a smile, "That definitely sounds like you, Makoto-senpai. There's no way you'd leave someone who needed help."

"So you understand," Makoto was relieved. "And you understand that... you can't tell anyone about this... right?"

"Well, this is truly a huge discovery, it'd be a shame to let this slip by the eyes of science..."

Makoto's heart clenched hearing his friend say something like that. Should he have not told Rei about this? But if he didn't, Haru could've...

"But, us scientists are also bound to a code of ethics," Rei glanced over at the sleeping mermaid. "I know there are many of my colleagues who would think otherwise, but I wouldn't be able to hand him over to some lab."

Makoto let out a breath of relief. Rei laughed.

"Makoto-senpai seems to already be attached to him too. But I can't believe it - mermaids actually exist!? I'm sure I kept my composure while stitching up his wound but I definitely had to keep my hands from shaking in excitement from knowing that I was working on a specimen so rare! Ahh, if only I could just have one of his scales..." Rei rambled on as his face glowed.

"W-Well, maybe when he wakes up I can ask if something like that is possible," Makoto smiled as he watched his friend.

"That'd be amazing!" Rei gleamed, looking up at Makoto. "Ah!" He looked down at his watch that started to beep. "I have to get back to work!" He quickly walked towards the entrance of the apartment.

"Oh! I'm sorry, you were at work? I should've known," Makoto walked Rei to the door.

"It's fine! I can pretty much take as many breaks as I want. Plus I had an old friend asking for a favor," Rei straightened up as he walked out the door.

"Thanks again, Rei. I'll definitely make it up to you," Makoto leaned against the doorway as he waved goodbye to his friend.

Makoto made his way back into his apartment and checked inside the bathroom. Haru was still asleep but Makoto felt better knowing that his wound was treated. Yet he couldn't take himself away from the doorway. There was still a bit of worry about Haru's health. Makoto went to his kitchen to grab a chair and grabbed a pillow off his bed and headed back into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Haru stirred from his sleep, his vision was blurry. He rubbed his eyes to wipe away the sleep. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he realized he was in an unfamiliar place - a really unfamiliar place. He instinctively made a sharp movement that caused him to feel the pain on his side. Grabbing at his wound he noticed the stitching on it - someone had closed it up. Even more confusing things seemed to have kept accumulating by the moment. He had also realized he was not in the ocean nor at the rocks, but in a strange pool of water. It also didn't take long for him to realize that another figure was by him - Makoto.<p>

The strange human that had helped him was asleep in a sitting position next to him. Haru still didn't know why this human was so nice to him or why he even bothered to help him. There must be some sort of alternative motive going on. Could he really fully trust him?

But... this did seem like that 'bathtub' thing he was talking about. And his wound... it looked like it was fixed. Maybe... he really was a good human?

Haru looked back at the sleeping man. He thought he looked silly with his head lulling about and the strange noises he kept making in his sleep. Haru scoffed a bit as he settled back in the tub. He still felt a bit sleepy, so he figured taking another nap in this 'bathtub' wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

I really hope this AU isn't overdone to death, but hopefully I can still make this a worthwhile story. I have a lot planned for it and I'm really excited to have my first multi-chapter MakoHaru story! Please let me know what you think~ Feel free to follow my twitter for updates (SquattaWrites) and thank you so much for reading! See you next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Makoto stirred from his sleep, noticing his back ached a bit as he yawned and stretched out his arms. Oh yeah, he had fallen asleep sitting up to keep watch on Haru...

Haru...

Makoto's head jerked to the side to check up on the mermaid. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep so he hoped nothing had happened while he was out.

But much to his relief, Haru seemed to be fine and sound asleep as well. The corners of Makoto's mouth lifted a bit as he watched the mermaid sleep so peacefully. He was glad that Rei's treatment seemed to be working fine.

Makoto dug into his pockets to check the time on his phone. Nine in the morning. He was glad he didn't have to go into work today, because there was the big question of exactly how he was going to support a mermaid living in his apartment. It wasn't like people had mermaids for roommates every day; he had no clue about how they lived.

"Nn..." Makoto heard a slight splash coming from the tub.

Haru had woken up rubbing at his eyes. He seemed to be stretching out his tail as he pushed it out over the edge of the tub and swayed it side-to-side a bit.

"Good morning," Makoto said with a kind voice.

"H-Hello..." Haru mumbled as he glanced over at Makoto.

"Um, are you hungry? Ah, I'm not sure exactly if you can have human food though..." Makoto stood up and pondered. He felt like questions like this would pop up a lot.

"Mackerel..." Haru responded, cupping some of the water in his hand and splashing it over his face.

"Oh! Right, you probably eat a lot of fish, huh?" At least he was on his way to learning about mermaids, if only a little. "Um, I don't have any mackerel at the moment, though. But I have some salmon - is that alright?"

"Salmon is fine," Haru replied plainly.

"Alright!" Makoto said happily. "I'll be right back, then."

He walked out of the bathroom and headed towards his small kitchen. It was small, but it was enough as a single guy. He tried to make food at home as much as possible, but he really wasn't that great of a cook. It was probably not very good that he'd most likely opt to get something at the convenience store, but with the strange hours he worked some nights it was almost a necessity.

It had taken him quite a few tries to learn how to make a few dishes without absolutely destroying them. At this moment, he was thankful that he learned how to cook fish on the stove without burning it to a crisp. Right now he was wishing he had some of the fish that he and his co-worker caught the previous day as he was sure it was much more fresh than the store bought kind, but he hoped Haru would enjoy it nonetheless.

After a bit of cooking, the fish seemed to be seared and seasoned perfectly. He plated the fish, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and headed back into the bathroom.

"Here you are, Haru! I hope you enjoy it," Makoto smiled as he set the plate on the edge of the tub, lying the chopsticks down beside it.

Haru stared at the fish, furrowing his brow a bit. He took a sniff of it and looked up at Makoto. "What did you do to this?"

"Huh? I cooked it... do you not like it cooked this way?" Makoto frowned slightly.

"Cook...?" Haru cocked his head to the side.

"...Ah!" Makoto slapped his hand to his forehead. Of course Haru never cooked his fish - he lived in the ocean! "Err, I'm really sorry, I wasn't thinking when I made this... Humans like to cook their fish most of the time. We do eat it raw sometimes! But this wasn't really a cut of fish you'd make into sashimi..." Makoto hung his head in shame.

Haru's eyes darted from Makoto to the fish. He let out a light sigh.

"It's fine. Its still salmon, right? It should still taste alright," Haru poked at the fillet, completely ignoring the chopsticks. "Its hot... why would you make the fish hot?"

"Um, meat and fish really taste good heated up so that's why humans cook them," Makoto picked up the chopsticks. "I guess I didn't really consider that you wouldn't know how to use these either."

Haru shook is head from side to side as he looked at the chopsticks.

"It's something that might not be easy to do at first for someone who's never done it, but, you hold them like this and then move them like this," Makoto tried demonstrating to the best of his ability.

Haru's brow furrowed again as he reached for the chopsticks, grabbing them out of Makoto's hands and proceeding to stab the fish with them.

Makoto covered his mouth as he stifled a small laugh, watching Haru pick up the skewered fish and bought it to his mouth. Haru gave it a lick and bit off a tiny piece, giving it a few chews with a concentrated face. His eyes widened after he swallowed and he looked up at Makoto with earnest eyes.

"Th-This is good!" His tail slapped at the side of the bathtub.

"Oh! I'm so glad you like it," Makoto was relieved to hear the news.

He watched the mermaid devour the fish in only a few bites and roughly set down the chopsticks. He looked completely content with the meal.

"Humans... even though they're a nuisance, I didn't know they could prepare fish so well..." Haru slid back into the tub and looked up at the ceiling.

"I guess we do have the advantage of being able to use fire," Makoto picked up the empty plate. "Maybe next time you can have sashimi next? Maybe you can have some sushi as well... Ah! And of course I'll get you some mackerel!" Makoto was getting a bit excited over the idea of showing Haru foods he probably never had before.

Haru's head turned and he gave Makoto that wistful gaze again. "Those are all ways humans have fish as well? I really want to try them..."

Makoto was relieved that he seemed to have gotten through to Haru in some way. He supposed the saying 'the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach' was true after all.

"I'll go shopping later and get some for you then!" Makoto said with a smile, standing up from his chair, picking up the plate.

"...Shopping?" Haru gave a look of confusion.

Oh boy, there was still a lot left for them to learn about each other.

* * *

><p>Makoto took advantage of his day off to learn more about Haru and his world and he in turn did the same. He found out that Haru lived in a village far away from the shore he had found him, but it was no problem for them to swim such long distances. He also found out that mermaids actually have small gills, but enjoy the freshness of air once in a while. Not only that, but they can live in both salt and fresh water. Makoto also learned the mermaids have their own language that can only be heard through the water.<p>

"We learn human language in case of emergencies. You'd be surprised how many times my people have had to interact with humans, pretending to be one, in order to convince them they are so they could be left alone," Haru explained.

It was a bit saddening to hear how untrustworthy the mermaids were of humans, and it was even worse to hear that there was good reason behind it. There were apparently instances of cruel treatment of mermaids who were unfortunate enough to get caught, just because they were something humans found bizarre and strange.

"We do all we can to survive and live peacefully..." Haru said quietly, running his hand through the water and looking down solemnly.

Makoto frowned as he looked at Haru's face. He felt a clenching pain in his chest just from seeing him so sad. "I'm sorry, Haru, if only there was something I could do..."

"Its alright, its not so bad. I've rarely had to deal with humans up until this point and most of my life has been a happy one," Haru shrugged, his gaze settling back onto Makoto. "Plus you've helped me - I guess not all humans are terrible."

Makoto kindly smiled, "I'm glad I've finally earned your trust! Don't worry, as soon as you're all healed up I'll take you back to the ocean. I'm sure everyone in your village is worried about you."

Haru nodded, "Its typical for some of us to be out days at a time but I'm sure after a while they will start to worry." Haru gently looked down at his wound and touched it lightly. "How did you fix this by the way?"

"Oh, remember that friend I told you about? He rushed over as soon as he heard you were hurt and he fixed you up right away... I'm really sorry I didn't ask your permission first but you were unconscious and I was afraid... A-Anyway, he won't tell anyone about you, okay? He's a really good guy and he promised he wouldn't," Makoto could tell Haru was a bit uncomfortable about someone else finding out about him.

"I'm going to have to trust you, I guess. It already happened so there's not much I can do about it now," Haru's eyes turned away as he went back to staring into the water.

Makoto hoped that he didn't make Haru feel uncomfortable, but he really had no choice. The unimaginable could've happened if Rei didn't come over.

"...How did you end up getting that wound in the first place? I don't want you to recall bad memories though..."

"Its fine," Haru rested his head against the wall of the tub. "I was careless," he shrugged. "I knew it was feeding time for the sharks but I still decided to go out looking for fish by myself. I had never had too many problems with sharks, but a hungry shark is something you should never approach..." Haru gently touched his side. "I was getting a bit greedy with the fish too so it was only a matter of time before a shark got fed up with me. They're somewhat mindless so it didn't matter much to it that it might've been a little too aggressive with its bite. I started losing a lot of blood and it was quite painful, so I did my best to swim away - sharks don't eat nor like the taste of mermaids, but the smell of blood will at least entice them to give a nibble. And if one was hungry enough... Anyway, next thing I know I was washed up on shore, wondering if that was how I was going to die..." Haru gazed distantly as his sentence dropped off at the end.

"That's so awful... you must've been so scared..." Makoto had the urge to comfort Haru in some way but wasn't sure how.

"It was my own fault," Haru shrugged again, as if his life wasn't so important.

"I'm glad I found you then," Makoto smiled.

Haru glanced in his direction and looked away after a moment.

"How about I change your water, Haru? How long can you go without it?" Makoto asked, trying to change the subject.

"Maybe about 20 minutes..." Haru said quietly.

"That should give us plenty of time. I'm sure you're wanting some new water, right?"

"It'd be nice to have some new water, yes," Haru nodded.

Makoto grabbed a towel and lay it over the chair. After that he stood over the tub and held his hands out towards Haru.

"Alright, I'll help you get out of the bath so I can change the water," Makoto said with an encouraging expression.

"I can get out myself..." Haru said, placing his hands on the edge of the tub.

"Huh? But, you don't have legs..."

"I can do it..." Haru lifted himself nearly all the way up.

"Haru, be careful!" Makoto said worriedly, slightly panicking.

"I'm... fine!" Haru swung the lower half of his body over the tub. "Ow!" He winced in pain as he felt his wound throb and one of his hands slipped off the edge of the tub.

"Haru!" Makoto shouted, lunging for Haru's torso before it slammed against the bathroom floor. "Jeeze, you aren't healed yet, be more careful!" He scolded as he placed his arms underneath Haru.

Haru hissed from the pain in his side and no longer protested as Makoto lifted him onto the chair.

"Please don't do that again!" Makoto said, less angry and more like a worried mother. He checked to see if the wound had opened up. Luckily it looked the same.

Haru looked away, puffing out his cheeks a bit.

"Does it hurt?" Makoto asked in a much calmer voice. He reached out to touch Haru's wound before it was quickly slapped away. He retracted his hand back to his side quickly.

"... It just hurts a little from moving like that, I'll be fine," Haru still refused to look in Makoto's direction.

"Alright... just please let me know if it starts to hurt too much, okay?" Makoto tried smiling for Haru but was ignored.

Makoto went to work on draining the tub and refilling it, making sure the bathwater would be maintained at a comfortable temperature.

"Ready to go back in?"

Haru nodded only slightly but still decided not to speak up.

"Make sure you hold onto me, okay?" Makoto said softly, wrapping an arm around Haru's back.

Although Haru seemed to be in a sour mood, hey obeyed Makoto and clung to the back of his neck as Makoto's other arm lifted him from under his fin. Slowly and gently, Makoto lowered Haru back into the tub with the fresh water.

"There!" Makoto said after Haru was safely back in the tub. "I bet that feels nice, huh?"

"Mm..." Haru sounded, moving his hands slowly through the water.

"Well... I'll think I'll go buy some food, alright? I'm going to have to leave you alone for a while. You'll be okay right?" Makoto asked as he dried his hands on a towel.

Haru still avoided eye contact with Makoto and slowly sunk under the water, completely submerging his head. Even though Makoto now got to see how Haru's gills worked, he frowned at the step backward they seemed to have taken. He was sure Haru did not want to seem like a burden or like he was unable to do something - Makoto was sure that must be some sort of blow to his pride - but everything was different on land. Makoto was sure he wouldn't be doing nearly as well if their roles were reversed.

"I'll buy lots of fish for you, okay?" Makoto tried to lighten Haru's mood but there was no indication that was working.

Makoto hoped that tonight's dinner might cheer Haru up a bit.

* * *

><p>Makoto was feeling better himself as he made his way home with all sorts of foods he thought Haru might like in his grocery bags. Of course, fresh fish was a bit more expensive, but he found himself not minding splurging a bit on his new friend. He really hoped to improve Haru's mood in the process too.<p>

"Oh, Rin!" Makoto waved with a bag in his hand.

A nearby police officer turned around at the mention of his name.

"Ah, Makoto," he nodded as he watched Makoto trot up to him.

"I didn't know you were on duty today," Makoto commented on seeing him in full uniform.

Makato had gotten to know Rin through their jobs. Since he was a firefighter and Rin was an officer, they had found themselves running into each other often in this small town.

"Yeah, we got a new guy down at the station so my schedule changed a bit to help him out with getting used to things," Rin replied.

"Oh?" Makoto looked around.

"He's back at the station right now. We're on break so I was getting some coffee," Rin held up two cups of coffee.

"Ah, I shouldn't keep you too long then," Makoto held up his grocery bags, "I've got to get these home soon as well."

"Sure thing, we should go out for a drink some time," Rin nudged Makoto on his way past him.

"That sound great, see you later, Rin!" Makoto waved again.

Rin gave another nod, "I'll call you or something."

Makoto's apartment was close so it took only a few minutes for him to arrive. He set down the groceries in the kitchen and went to the bathroom to check on Haru.

Haru seemed to have resurfaced since he left, but only spared a glance in Makoto's direction.

"Are you getting hungry? I bought some really good fish so I hope you like it," Makoto smiled kindly.

Haru crossed his arms, still refusing to look in Makoto's direction, "Maybe..."

"I'll go get some ready then," Makoto tried keeping up a cheery demeanor despite Haru's gloomy attitude.

On the way back from the store, an idea crossed his mind about how to get Haru out of the bathroom once in a while. It must be terribly boring to be in there all day. Not only that, it was a little hard to use the toilet or the bath with Haru in there at the same time (Makoto had to resort to using the restroom at the store for now).

He walked to his small closet and dug through a few things until he found it - a decent sized inflatable pool and pump. His younger brother and sister would sometimes come over to visit, and during the summer he'd sometimes blow the pool up for them in the little community area of the apartment if he got called into work (he was always on call - even on his off days) and couldn't take them to the beach. He didn't necessarily feel safe having them go to the beach by themselves, so he bought the pool for them to at least have something to do.

"I think this'll work fine," Makoto said to himself, lying it out in front of the television and pushing his table over.

With the pump it took no time to inflate, but then there was the issue of filling it up with water. Luckily he still had the pumps from the fire station (he really needed to take those back ASAP) so filling it up wasn't too bad either.

After that, Makoto plated the tuna sashimi and set it on the table next to the pool.

"Haru, do you mind coming out of the tub to eat with me?" Makoto asked from the doorway of the bathroom.

Haru glanced momentarily in Makoto's direction, "I'm fine here..."

"But I want to eat with you!" Makoto said cheerily, walking closer to the tub. "Haru, I'm not sure why you're feeling so down - but this is all new to you, right? I'm sure you miss your home a lot... so I promise I'll take you back as soon as I can. But... until then, I'd like to get to know you better and become friends, okay?"

Haru looked up and saw a sincere smile on Makoto's face. "Friends..."

"Mhm," Makoto nodded.

"Why would you want to be my friend?" Haru asked, crossing his arms.

"Because I enjoy being with Haru and learning about him," Makoto knelt down so they were at eye level.

Haru's face reddened slightly and turned his head away from Makoto. "You're a surprisingly simple human..."

Makoto chuckled, "I guess I kind of am, huh?" He stood up and held out a hand towards Haru. "So, will you come out of the tub and eat with me? I've prepared a place where you can sit."

Haru hesitated for a moment, his eyes going from Makoto's hand to the wall. "...Fine," he huffed, grabbing onto Makoto's hand.

"Yay~," Makoto said happily lifting Haru up and out of the water.

Makoto made sure not to hit Haru's head on the door frame of the bathroom and walked over to the pool.

"I figured sitting out here will be a lot less boring than sitting in the tub," Makoto carefully lowered Haru down.

Haru didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he was already liking the pool better. He could stretch his fin out and the plastic probably felt better than the hard tub. He also seemed curious about the new surroundings. After all, he had not seen the rest of the apartment except the bathroom.

"Oh, here, want to see what television is like?" Makoto asked. He had told Haru about it during their conversation earlier that day.

Haru simply nodded. Makoto picked up the remote and turned the television on, causing Haru to jump a bit in surprise at the sudden noise and colors that came from it. It seemed like a drama was on at the moment.

"W-Wow..." Haru looked on in amazement. "They... can't see us, can they?"

Makoto laughed a bit, "No, not at all. Remember how I said people get recorded and they put the recordings on television? That's what this is. This isn't happening right now, its more like... a memory, I guess?" Makoto scratched his head, trying to think of decent way to explain this. "You can probably learn a lot about humans by watching television so maybe you should try watching some when I'm not able to be at home."

"Nn..." Haru seemed to only be half paying attention as he was now entranced by the program.

"Oh, Haru!" Makoto lightly nudged his shoulder. "Here is some sashimi - you like tuna, right?" He held the plate out to Haru

"Yes..." Food seemed to have done the trick to divert his attention from the television.

Haru picked up a piece and placed it in his mouth.

"Mm!" The expression on his face was a bit childish and Makoto couldn't help but find it pretty cute.

"Eat as much as you want - but try not to get full, I bought some mackerel today as well," Makoto set the plate back on the table.

"Mackerel..." Haru looked up with hopeful eyes.

"I'm going to try cooking it like that salmon so I hope you like it," Makoto said as he walked towards the kitchen.

He was glad that Haru seemed to have cheered up again. It was also nice that he could keep an eye on him from he kitchen. Although he was sure Haru wouldn't cause any trouble as long as he had that tuna and the show remained on.

After successfully cooking the fish, Makoto walked out of the kitchen with two plates in hand.

"Here you are, Haru," Makoto set down a plate of Mackerel with a bit of rice and vegetables. "I'm not sure if you'll like the other things, but if you feel like eating some human foods I'm more than happy to make you some." He also gave Haru a fork - the chopsticks didn't seem to work out last time.

"I have actually tried some human food," Haru commented, picking up the fork and examining it. "I've also seen this thing before as well."

"Oh, really?" Makoto asked, intrigued.

"Yes, there are a few people in my village who sometimes go to harbors and brave getting caught in order to take a few things. Because humans sometimes have fresh food that we enjoy - I like a lot of the fruits that they bring back." Haru stabbed at the vegetables. "So I'm sure I may like some of these as well."

"That's so interesting! It must be dangerous for them to go get food like that though," Makoto began eating his food.

"Yes, but its worth it to feed everyone," Haru replied.

Makoto watched as he next took a bite of the mackerel, hoping the reaction was positive. As Haru chewed, his tail swished back and forth excitedly.

"Makoto!"

The man in question was a bit shocked - it was the first time Haru had said his name.

"I-I have never had mackerel like this!" He said in a surprised and almost serious tone.

"Do you like it then...?" Makoto wasn't sure what to make of his reaction.

"Yes!" Haru was showing the most emotion he had since meeting him.

Makoto laughed and enjoyed watching Haru eat the rest of his meal quickly. He looked even more content than earlier that day once he ate everything on the plate.

They spent the next hour watching the another drama that came on after the previous one ended. Not much talking got done since Haru seemed to be very much absorbed into what was going on - but he did ask many questions between the commercials.

The drama seemed to be a romance. Nothing terribly exciting and new since it seemed to follow the typical formula any romance drama would, but Haru watched it with observant eyes.

"I love you!" The man on TV shouted whilst standing in the pouring rain.

"If you loved me, then why did you leave me so many years ago?" The woman shouted back from her apartment window, tears streaming down her face.

"Because I was no good for you then! I had no job, no money - and there was Satoshi! I know he liked you and I thought he was better for you. But I was a fool to leave you!"

"You were a fool! The only one I loved - that I ever loved - was you!" The woman's tears kept leaking from her eyes.

"Please give me another chance!" The man dug in his pocket. "Marry me!" He held up a small box with a ring inside it.

At that the woman gasped and left the windowsill. A few seconds passed and all hope seemed to be lost until she suddenly came bursting through the apartment doors, running up to the man, leaping into his arms as they embraced.

"Yes!" She said and brought their lips together in a kiss.

Music played as the camera zoomed out and eventually the credits rolled.

"...Huh..." Makoto turned his head to look at Haru, who had a slightly confused look on his face.

"What is it?" Makoto asked.

"... What is 'marry'?" Haru looked over at Makoto.

"Ah, its when two people love each other. Sometimes they want to spend the rest of their lives together so they decide to get married. When they get married it means they made an agreement to be with each other forever," Even if some marriages aren't that rosy, Makoto thought.

"Oh. When mermaids mate, we stay with our partners for life. I guess that is the same as marriage then?"

"I would say that's basically the same, yes," Makoto nodded. "Do you fall in love with the your mates then."

"I suppose that is the word," Haru replied. "The word in my language that we would say is probably the closest to 'love'. Mermaids, when they court, base it on how they feel about the person. And the other person must also feel the same way. We also feel the need to take care of the other person and stay with them even after having children. So yes, I guess that is love."

"That sounds really sweet," Makoto smiled. "Do you have a mate, Haru?"

Haru shook his head. "I haven't felt like anyone was special enough to mate with. I like many people in my village, but they are just friends. Besides, it hasn't been very long since I have come of age for when my people begin to seek out a partner." Haru looked over at Makoto again. "Do you have a mate? You are very strong and have nice features, also caring - I'm sure there are other humans who have shown interest."

"Ah, uh," Makoto blushed slightly "I don't... I'm not really seeking one at the moment," Makoto laughed nervously.

"Hm," Haru didn't seem very phased by asking personal questions. "Also, what was that they did at the end?"

"Hm? Which part?"

"When they put their mouths together," Haru brought his finger to his lips. "What was that?"

"Ah! Mermaids don't do that?" Makoto found it a bit odd, despite their differences, with half a body being similar to humans they had many of the same human behaviors.

Haru shook his head.

"Well, it's called a 'kiss'. People who are in love usually do that to show how much they like each other," As Makoto tried to explain, he saw Haru mimicking what he thought was a kiss, puckering his lips to no one in particular. Makoto couldn't help but laugh.

"This is strange," Haru commented.

"Well, its a bit different when you're actually doing it with someone else," Makoto said.

"So Makoto has kissed before?" Haru asked with genuine curiosity.

"Ahh, I suppose I have..." It was something as innocent as kissing, but he still felt a little embarrassed to be discussing it with Haru.

"But you said you do not have a mate," Haru seemed confused. "And you said you do it with the person you love."

"Err," Makoto scratched his head as he tried to think. "Well, people date... I guess that's what they do to figure out if they like a person enough to want to marry them. When people date, they often kiss."

"Oh..." Haru seemed to be writing mental notes.

"But, sometimes people kiss family members - like, not on the lips but maybe on the cheek," Makoto pointed to his cheek. "Sometimes friends will kiss on the cheek, but I suppose that's not as common - especially not here."

"Seems complicated," Haru sighed.

"It kind of is," Makoto smiled.

"I guess we kind of have something like that," Haru lifted his fin. "When someone has a mate, they rub their tails together to show affection." He set his fin back down. "Its something you only do with your mate, though."

"That does seem like kissing," Makoto commented. "Your fin is very beautiful, too."

At that Haru's face turned quite red. "Its not... that great..." He sunk a little bit into the pool.

"Haha, Haru, did it make you flustered for me to comment on it?" Makoto teased.

"... No one has ever said my fin is beautiful... Its very plain compared to others," Haru pouted a bit.

"Well, I think its a very beautiful blue. I may not know what other mermaid's fins look like, but as far as I'm concerned yours is the best!" Makoto smiled. For some reason he enjoyed watching Haru's reactions.

"St-Stop!" Haru, moved his tail into the water out of Makoto's sight. "Its embarrassing..."

"So is it too much for me to say that I also think your hair is beautiful?" Makoto asked, running a few fingers through the dark, black locks.

"Yes!" Haru swatted his hand away, his face an even deeper shade of red.

Makoto laughed and was met with a wave of water to his face.

"Haha, okay, okay! I'll stop! Some of the stuff in my apartment doesn't do so well when soaked with water so I won't do it anymore," Makoto pushed his wet hair out of his face, still laughing.

"You better not," Haru furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, refusing to look at Makoto.

"Ah, I'm all wet now," Makoto said in a more amused than annoyed tone. "Its also getting pretty late. You can sleep out here if you want?"

Haru seemed to calm down a bit as his face was not quite so red. "I think I like it out here better."

"That's good, because I was thinking you could stay out here from now on. Unfortunately I have to go back to work tomorrow so I'll be gone for most of the day," Makoto stood up and gathered the dishes.

"Oh, work is something you said many humans have to do, right?" Haru recalled.

"Yeah, so I'm sorry we can't hang out every day like this," Makoto placed everything in the sink and began to wash them. "But I'll leave the television on for you and I'll teach you how to use the remote."

"Alright," Haru replied. He turned onto his stomach and rested his head on the edge of the pool to watch Makoto. He let out a yawn.

After Makoto finished the dishes, he walked back out to see Haru barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Good night, Haru," Makoto picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

"Mm..." Haru mumbled and closed his eyes.

Makoto smiled and shut off the lights before getting ready for bed himself. Having Haru around was surprisingly fun. He figured he'd probably miss him when he'd have to go back. Makoto wondered if it was possible to ever go visit Haru in the future.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

I hope the wait wasn't too long! I also hope you enjoyed this chapter - I tried not to make it too ramble-y with portraying how little Haru knows about the world above the ocean, but it was kind of necessary I suppose? Despite that I tried to make this an interesting chapter. I also somewhat struggled with writing this, because I have lots planned for the story yet I was unsure in how to segue into it. So I apologize if it seemed messy. v_v But I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story!

Thank you very much for all the support and see you next time! :*


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm home, Haru," Makoto called out after shutting the door behind him.

"Welcome back," Haru leaned over the edge of the inflatable pool to watch Makoto as he took off his shoes.

"You've really gotten used to living here, huh?" Makoto smiled as he walked to the kitchen with the grocery bags in his hands.

"I've seen people greeting others when they return home all the time on television so I want to do it as well," Haru explained. His eyes settled on the grocery bags that Makoto set down on the counter.

"Did you learn anything new today?" Makoto asked as he pulled out a fresh fillet of neatly packaged mackerel. Buying all this fish was starting to get pricey, but he felt like it was worth it.

"I watched people cook. It seems fun and everything looked tasty - do you like to cook, Makoto?" Haru asked as he watched the fish eagerly

"Hmm, being able to cook your own meals is nice, but I'm not that great at cooking many things," Makoto placed the fish in the fridge. "You must be hungry, though. I hope you don't mind eating something pre-made today. I picked up some sushi so I think you'll like it."

"I don't mind," Haru shook his head. He assumed the fish Makoto put in the fridge might be for his lunch tomorrow.

Makoto opened up another bag and pulled out the sushi in take-out boxes.

"There's a sushi placeI really enjoy going to so I like going to pick something up from there when I want to eat something decent but don't have time to cook," Makoto walked out to the living room and sat beside Haru, handing the mermaid his portion.

There was something really nice about coming home, having someone greet you, and being able to sit and eat dinner together, sharing small talk and stories as the night went on. And it was a plus whenever that person praised your cooking.

Makoto was initially unsure about how he was going to manage having a mermaid in his apartment, but it was going surprisingly well. And to his relief Haru was adjusting very fast.

"Oh, Haru, do you want to take a warm bath tonight? I know you really liked it last time," Makoto suggested.

The other day he moved Haru to the bath so he could replace the water in the pool (he ended up keeping one of the portable fire hoses since it had a suction option to remove water. He hoped he wouldn't get in much trouble if someone found out...). Makoto had the idea to let Haru soak in a warm bubble bath and he seemed to have really enjoyed himself.

"C-Could I?" Haru looked at Makoto a little expectantly.

"Of course!" Makoto smiled.

After they ate their dinner, Makoto went to start up the bath, making sure the water was nice and warm. He poured a bit of bath soap in for just the right amount of bubbles. Makoto could admit that he enjoyed a relaxing bath from time to time - work was really hard on him! So he didn't really feel silly for having something like bath soap lying around the house.

"Alright, Haru, the bath is ready," Makoto came out to the living room as Haru was watching some sort of variety show.

"Mh," Haru nodded and held up his hands.

That was a habit that Haru had gotten into that was so unusually cute, but Makoto knew he'd probably get a fin across the face if he ever commented on it. Instead he endured the almost childlike way Haru awaited to be picked up and carried by him without saying a word.

"Here we go," Makoto said as he lowered Haru into the bath.

Haru let out a long sigh as his body emerged into the water. He ducked his head beneath the surface for a good while and came back up.

"Feel good?" Makoto asked.

"Yes, thank you," Haru said quietly as his eyes closed.

"Do you mind if I sit and talk with you for a while?" Makoto asked.

"I don't mind," Haru replied.

Makoto grabbed his folding chair that he kept by the bathroom and sat down.

"I talked to Rei today. He said its been about a week so you might be able to get your stitches out soon - isn't that great?" Makoto smiled warmly. "Of course, he said he still wanted to exam your injuries and your physical condition just in case."

"Mh, that's fine," Haru replied shortly.

"You don't mind of Rei comes over again, do you?" Makoot didn't want to make Haru uncomfortable, especially since he wasn't awake the last time his friend came over, but Rei knew a lot more about this kind of stuff than he did.

"It can't be helped. Plus he already knows of me," Haru shrugged. "He's your friend so I'll trust him."

Makoto chuckled a bit, "Thank you, Haru, I just wanted to make sure you're all healed for when you go home!"

Makoto felt a little sad thinking that soon Haru wouldn't be staying at his apartment anymore. He had really gotten used to having someone else there with him. But Haru probably missed his home even more.

"Yeah," Haru nodded, moving his hand slowly through the water.

"Is there anything else you could tell me about your home? I'd love to know more," Makoto leaned in a bit.

"...What would you like to know exactly? I could tell you about the laws of our village but its not very exciting... Our daily lives are pretty normal. The only thing you might find interesting is what we do for recreation or the lore we pass down."

"Oh, the lore sounds interesting! Is it like, stories about how mermaids came to be?" Makoto asked excitedly.

"Actually... one of the most popular lore is about that, yes," Haru nodded, "Although its mostly something children believe in."

"I want to hear it!" Makoto looked at Haru with eagerness.

Haru let out a short, amused huff, "Fine, I'll tell you about it."

* * *

><p>Once upon a time, there was a fish so beautiful she was the envy of the sea. Her scales shined brightly and the colors were so vivid - even predators felt it a shame to eat such a beautiful creature. Although she was envied she was always loved by everyone, because she was also very kindhearted. She would help in anyway she could and always tried making friends with every fish she met. Many fish loved her and her beauty, and she loved them as well.<p>

Her life was seemingly perfect, but the beautiful fish often felt a bit lonely at times. Odd, when she had so many friends, but there was something that she longed for but could never have.

One day, she had gotten close to the surface of the waters while out exploring. It was always a bit dangerous since the creatures above the sea were so unpredictable, but she enjoyed seeing what the world looked like beyond the water.

Her gills nearly ruffled at the sight she had seen that day - a young man sitting at a dock, looking out into the water. He seemed to have noticed her right away and her heart pounded in fear that he might try to capture her.

"What a beautiful fish!" The man gasped in surprise.

The fish wasn't quite sure what the man said, but she recognized the expression on his face was one of happiness.

"I've never seen one quite like it..." The man stared down at the water, eagerly trying to get a better look. "Hello, there!" He gave a wave.

The fish was still a bit frightened, but she sensed no menacing intent from the man. She cautiously waved her tail through the water side-to-side to see what his reaction might be.

"Oh, you waved back!" The man continued to smile.

He looked behind him and around him, as if searching for someone. This made the fish a bit nervous once again.

"I hope no one else sees you - they might try to make you as their pet if they do," The man continued to talk, but the fish still could not understand what he said.

"Unfortunately, I have to go for today. I hope I can see you again?" The man waved once more and stood up, walking down the dock and away from sight.

The man's exit was a sigh of relief, but it was almost a bit sad. The fish knew that the man had no intentions of harming her, but she had always been told to be wary of the creatures above the surface - especially humans.

But as she returned to her home that night, she could not stop thinking about the man.

To get it off of her mind, she want back to the dock around the same time the next day. There was no guarantee that the man would return, but there he was - sitting at the same place and looking longingly at the water.

"You're here today as well!" The man once again smiled when he realized the fish had returned. "Could it be you actually understand me?"

The fish would never understand what this man was saying, but she enjoyed the happiness on his face whenever he saw her.

Because of this, the fish returned day after day at the same time. The man would sometimes talk for a while, and she enjoyed it even if she never knew what he said. Sometimes he would smile and sometimes he would look sad. The fish hated when the man looked sad and wished that she could do something for him. So the only thing she could do was return the next day, because the biggest smile she would see him have was when he noticed her arrival.

The fish began to realize that her longing to want to understand the man grew more and more each day. She longed to be able to talk to him, to sit on the dock with him, and to comfort him when he made that sad face. Every time they parted her heart ached and she lived day by day at the thought of seeing him again.

Suddenly, one day he no longer appeared at the dock. The fish thought that maybe he was busy with something, but one day turned into a week, which turned into several weeks.

The beautiful fish's friends seemed to notice the lack of pep in her demeanor and the lack of vibrancy in the colors of her scales. They worried about why she was down and tried to comfort her. All she could do was assure her friends that she was fine - she never wanted to cause problems for them.

When nearly a month had passed. The fish waited at the dock until nightfall with no visitors in sight. With a heavy heart, she began her lonely swim back home.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot through the waters in front of her. The fish was surprised at the sudden phenomena and looked on in shock. As the light grew dimmer, it revealed the ethereal image of a fish far more beautiful than her. Her scales were colored all the colors of the rainbow and even some colors the fish had never seen before. Her long, flowing fins were like silk shawls across her body. It was like she was a goddess.

"The one you love is gravely ill - do you want to see him before the inevitable happens and he passes from this world?" The goddess spoke to her in a melodious voice.

"What has happened to him?" The fish asked, desperation in her voice.

"The one you love has been slowly dying since their birth. It was only a matter of time before their illness consumed them," the goddess replied. "I have the powers to turn you into a human and allow you to see him one last time."

"Yes! I will do anything!" The fish felt like it was only a matter of time before she started to cry, but she must see the man again.

"There is one thing you should consider," the goddess continued. "Once you are human, you will never be able to turn back into your original form."

The words caught in the fish's throat. Did that mean she had to be human forever? She would never have her beautiful scales and her fins ever again?

The fish closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. All this time she had longed to be with the man that waited at the dock for her every day. She spent every waking hour wishing she could talk to him and every dream she dreamt of listening to his stories and making him smile. The fish would never have a chance to do this - until now. Even as he lie there, his life slowly draining from him, she wanted to be by his side until the last moment.

"I will do it," the fish said with firm determination.

"Very well," the goddess said.

The fish's vision went blank and moments later she found herself up on the dock she had looked at from below the surface so many times.

"You must hurry," the voice of the goddess called out, although she was nowhere to be seen. "You do not have much time left."

The fish was now a human woman, fully dressed in human clothing and her mind was overtaken with senses and knowledge she had never known before. The ability to stand on two legs, the ability to think in the language she had never been able to understand before, the ability to run on her two legs, and the knowledge of where the one she loved lived.

Without knowing exactly how she got there, she arrived at a small cottage near the edge of the town. She took deep breaths in the cool air that stung her human lungs, and as if something was controlling her body, she knocked on the door to the strange house.

An older woman opened the door, looking solemn and sad, her eyes puffy. "Who are you?" She asked.

"I-I came to see him," the fish said, speaking a bizarre language that she could not understand how she had learned.

"Him? Do you mean my son?" The woman looked puzzled.

"I heard he is sick - I must see him!" The fish pleaded with the woman.

The woman did not say a word for a moment, wondering if the stranger that had showed up was really an acquaintance of her son.

"Fine... I will let you see my son. But if he asks you to leave you must go," the woman said.

"I will leave if he does not wish to see me," the fish replied. She knew that the man probably would not know who she was, but if only she could get a glimpse of him one last time...

The woman led her into the house. It was quite small and the fish could see a man standing over a bed.

"Excuse me doctor, but my son has a visitor," the woman called out.

"I'm not so sure he's in any condition for visitors," the doctor replied.

"Please allow me just to see him and say hello - that is all I want," the fish said with desperation in her eyes.

The doctor seemed to have felt her honest yearning and simply nodded, stepping aside to reveal the young man lying in bed with his eyes closed.

The fish walked over towards the bed slowly and sat in the chair beside the bed. The once vibrant and lively young man now looked tired and pale. She could feel warm, wet tears stream down her face - a sensation she had never felt before, but at the same time it felt very familiar.

The man stirred a bit at the presence of another person beside his bed. With half lidded eyes, he looked up at his visitor.

The fish did not know what to do, and simply sat there, waiting for a reaction.

The man studied her for a moment and gave a faint smile.

"You... actually came to see me," his voice was raspy but the smile did not fade from his face.

The fish was taken aback - was he mistaking her for someone else? Could he be delusional from his sickness?

"I'm sorry... I never returned to the dock..."

At those words the fish felt even more tears stream down her face. She reached out her hand to the man's and held it in her's. It was a sensation she had longed to feel - the touch of the man she loved, but it was a solemn wish come true.

"Its okay... I forgive you," the fish said quietly, wiping away at her tears.

The man gave her hand a faint squeeze. "I feel like I might already be dead - because I thought the only way we'd be able to speak to each other like this would be in a different world," He let out a soft laugh and looked back up at the woman. "If that's so then I don't mind dying."

The fish sobbed even more. Even the mother had begun to cry who was also standing in the room with them.

"I do not want you to die," the fish said in between tears. She was finally able to be with him and now she could feel him slowly slipping away.

"Its okay," the man said weakly, "We will meet again, I'm sure of it," he gave her one last smile before closing his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Please promise me that you will find your happiness."

The fish shook her head, "But you are my happiness!"

"If you spent the rest of your life in the dark, then I would be sad," the boy replied, "I want you to be as happy as you are beautiful - please promise me as my last wish."

The fish resisted a bit and then nodded, "I will..." She clasped his hand tightly.

"I'm glad..." His voice was barely a whisper.

His mother rushed up to him, holding onto his other hand, crying as she watched the life slip away from him.

The doctor examined the man and announced his passing. The house filled with tears and sadness. The fish could not help but feel miserable despite being able to finally be with the person she loved, if only for a moment.

"I... think it might be best if I speak with madame alone, if you do not mind," the doctor suggested to the fish.

"Yes... I understand," the fish nodded, still wiping her tears away.

"Wait one moment, miss," the woman called out to the fish. "I have never met you, but you must've been someone special to my son. He had very few friends since he was so sickly, and in his last few months of life he seemed to be happier than ever. I wondered what it was, but my son would just say he was at the docks all day - but he must've been meeting with you," the woman paused, squeezing her hands together. "Thank you for making my son so happy." The woman dug into the pockets of her dress and pulled out a small book.

"My son enjoyed drawing, so I thought you might like something to remind you of him," she handed the book to the fish. "These are a few of his drawings over the past few months. I think he'd want you to have them."

The fish thanked the woman and gave her her condolences and left the house.

The sun was beginning to rise in the distance once she exited the cottage. With a heavy heart, the fish had no where to go but the shore. She clutched the book close to her as she made her journey. What was she to do now? She could never become a fish again and she had nowhere to go.

The fish found a spot on the shore and sat down holding the book that was now her only possession. Getting the instinct to open it, she flipped open the cover and saw a page filled with drawings. She flipped a few more and stopped - there was a drawing of her. A drawing of her as a fish and the pages after that were filled with even more likenesses of her.

But one caught her eye and she stopped to marvel and how wonderful it was. It looked like a human woman, but half of her body was as a fish. Her fingers traced the page as she thought of how lovely it would've been if even half of her was human at the time he had met the man - then maybe they would've had more time together. She stared at the drawings of the half-human, half-fish in awe and the sight of them healed her heart a little. To know that the man was thinking about her as much as she thought of him warmed her to the core.

"Do you wish to return to the sea?" The voice of the goddess suddenly sounded in front of the fish and grabbed her attention.

"But, you said I could no longer go back to my original form," the fish replied.

"That is true, you cannot," the goddess said, "But I may have it in my powers to transform you into that." She pointed at the page in the open book of the drawing the man had made.

"Can you really?" The fish asked in awe.

"I can try, but I can make no promises," the goddess said.

The fish found the drawing beautiful, and it was something her beloved had made. If she were to become the being in the drawing, it would be as if he were always with her.

"I will do it," she nodded.

"As you wish," the goddess said.

The pages of the book were torn out of the book one by one and floated around the goddess. A bright flash of light shined and all of the pages were brought together, and the mermaid could feel herself be consumed by the pages like a blanket. Yet another blurring of her vision and a flash of light filled the fish's vision. When she awoke, she was shocked to look down and see a large, beautiful fin where her human legs once were. She touched it cautiously, feeling the scales that were much more familiar to the touch.

She quickly slipped into the sea and swam back to her home, swimming with ease as if she had done this every day of her life. When she arrived at the town, everyone seemed to be in a bustle. When they spotted her, they were shocked at the sight they saw.

"Its me, friends!" She announced.

The other fish realized right away that it was their friend with the beautiful scales, but they were baffled as to why she looked the way she did. She was bombarded with question after question and could not keep up with all of them.

"This young fish has suffered love and heartache, and this is the result of it," the voice of the goddess silenced everyone as she appeared in front of them. "Her form is now a tribute to her loyalty of love. Is she not even more beautiful than before?"

There was a mumble amongst the crowd. Many of them thought she was and always would be beautiful, but all of them seemed to be impressed with her new form and found it mesmerizing.

One of the younger fish spoke up. "Will she not be lonely being the only who looks this way?"

The beautiful fish was shocked by the question. She had not thought of that since she felt that her form was a gift from the man she loved. But there really was no one else in the entire ocean that was like her. She was sure she would still keep her friends, but life would definitely be different.

"Would you also like to take on this form?" The goddess asked the young fish.

"Can I really?" The little one asked excitedly.

"If it is alright," the goddess looked at the beautiful fish for permission.

"I-I do not need you all to change how you look for my sake!" She said, not wanting to feel obligated.

"But we love you!" Many of them shouted. "We always will, but we don't want you to feel lonely again!"

The beautiful fish was taken aback. She truly had wonderful friends. Maybe these wonderful friends would be the happiness the man had wished for her. Maybe she could start a new life with all of her friends that surrounded her with warmth and a peaceful life.

"If you all want to, I won't stop any of you," she smiled.

Almost unanimously they all agreed on joining the beautiful fish on her new form. In front of her eyes, all of her friends began to transform into similar images of the sketches - human-like on top and their fish scales and fin on the bottom.

They all celebrated their new forms and rejoiced in their union as a new species.

"Since this beautiful individual sacrificed everything to be with the one they loved, I will now allow such a sacrifice for all of you to make of your own will," the goddess announced. "All of you have the power to rid yourselves of your scales and walk on land if your desire is strong enough. Unfortunately, you, my dear," she looked at the beautiful fish, "cannot transform any longer."

She shook her head, "I am happy the way I am now. I have decided that this is the happiness that I will have."

The crowd murmured again. They wondered why they would every want to rid themselves of their new forms, but the jubilation continued as they celebrated their new lives. The goddess left quietly with a smile, and the fish that sacrificed everything for love got another chance to start anew. The new form her body was in was thanks to the young man on the dock, and she would forever have him as a part of her as she lived a happy life with her friends.

* * *

><p>Makoto sniffed and wiped a falling tear from his cheek. "That was so sad yet so beautiful! At least she was happy at the end," He said in a cracking voice.<p>

"It is quite a common story so I've become pretty used to hearing it," Haru was a little amused over Makoto's emotional reaction.

"Do you think that story is actually true?" Makoto asked.

"It seems like just a story... So I don't think it could be. No one really knows how our people have come to be, so it was probably made up to tell curious children," Haru explained.

"Ah, I wish it were," Makoto looked a little dreamy-eyed. Imagine if magical things like that really existed. Do you think mermaids can actually turn human? Has it ever happened!?" He asked eagerly.

"Even amongst the elders of all the villages I know of... there are no instances of mermaids turning human," Haru replied. "For a very long time we've avoided as much contact with humans as possible, so its very doubtful any have fallen in love with a human. Or desired badly enough to become one."

"Hmm," Makoto thought. "Actually, its very strange, humans have a somewhat similar story."

"Really?" Haru looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, in fact, its about a mermaid who desired to be with a human," Makoto nodded. "Its a mermaid instead of a fish, so it would take place after your story. And the ending is much different. Maybe I could find it for you to watch."

"S-So not only do humans know about us... they also know our lore?" Haru seemed baffled.

"Ah! Well, humans don't believe mermaids are real and are just a fairy tale for the most part. But now I'm wondering... How do we have a similar story...?" Makoto pondered.

"It is a bit strange..." Haru replied. "But its best if humans know as little about us as possible."

"Most people would probably think someone was lying if they said they saw a mermaid, so don't worry," Makoto chuckled. "I know if I told anyone I had one in my apartment they'd all think I was crazy."

"Don't tell them!" Haru sat up in the tub.

"I won't, I won't," Makoto chuckled a bit. He reached out to wipe a bit of suds off of Haru's cheek. "Your safety is what's important." He blew at the bubbles on his hand.

Haru watched as they floated back into the tub.

"Well, I'm going to change the water in your pool," Makoto stood up and stretched.

"Alright," Haru replied, sinking down into the tub.

"And thanks for telling me that story - it was really great and you told it so well," Makoto smiled, "And it was the most I had heard you talk too!"

"Mhm..." Haru's eyes shifted away.

Makoto smiled in amusement before exiting the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Makoto!"<p>

Makoto turned around to see his friend and coworker as he stood by the lockers. "Good morning, senpai."

"You've been looking a little happier lately, something good happen?" The man asked, giving Makoto a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, not really," Makoto shrugged.

"Hm, you sure? You haven't been up for going out after work much lately. You haven't found a girl, have you?" He nudged Makoto in the arm.

"N-No! Nothing like that," Makoto laughed a little. "I've just... made a new friend is all."

"A 'friend' huh?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I told you its not that," Makoto nudged him back.

Suddenly, the alarm sounded in the station. Everyone scrambled to get their gear on and Makoto did the same. No matter what was on his mind, he had to set it aside for his job. But at least he could say there was someone waiting at home for him once he was done with a rough day at work.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

I hope you don't mind that most of this chapter was that little mermaid fairy tale. ^^; But I kinda wanted to write something like that in this story! I don't think I have to explain to much for my reasoning behind including it, heh.

Also if you haven't heard, **I've started a poll!** I want to know what oneshot my readers want to see next, so I'm asking all of you! Since I can't link on here, you can find the link to the poll either on my profile or my twitter (Squatta_Writes). You have until December 10th to vote and the winner will be posted December 24th.

Thanks so much for reading my story! See you next time! :*


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